I Will Never Stop Protecting You
by sweetjujubee
Summary: Ranma travels to Akane's past and future in order to save her life. Along the way he experiences things that he never thought were possible, and realizes that some things were just meant to be...
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:** This story is based mainly on the manga, not the anime. In fact, I have never seen any episodes of the anime. Actually, I haven't even read all of the volumes of the manga either. I've heard how the storyline goes and I've tried to keep things as accurate to the manga as possible, but if anyone notices any glaring errors during the course of this fic, please don't hesitate to correct me. This is only the prologue, but I already have a lot of this fic planned out and drafted. Please keep checking for updates. Enjoy! 

**Disclaimer:** All characters used in this fic so far belong to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just borrowing them, I promise!

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**I Will Never Stop Protecting You**   
Prologue

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As night fell on the Tendo Dojo, bedroom lights began turning off one by one. Soon, all of the occupants inside were sound asleep except for one girl who was still awake and writing. 18 year old Akane Tendo, the youngest of the Tendo daughters, sat at her desk with a pen in hand and her diary open in front of her. She steadily wrote her thoughts and feelings onto its pages, and only stopped briefly every now and then to sigh and look at a wedding gown hanging in her closet. 

That was the gown she had worn on the day of her failed marriage to Ranma about a year ago. She had spent the days leading up to the wedding believing that Ranma loved her. He had told her so when she had nearly died at Jusenkyo. Then, on the day of the wedding, he took back what he had said. The wedding was mutually called off by both of them, but their fathers would not allow them to call of the engagement as well. Secretly, that had been fine with Akane. She didn't want to call of the engagement, not really. Akane had waited so long to hear Ranma say that he loved her. She was hurt when he took it back, hurt enough to cancel the wedding, but she still loved him nonetheless. Ranma, on the other hand, did not seem to care much about ruining the wedding. 

Akane knew that Ranma could be insensitive at times, but she had always thought that deep down inside, Ranma felt the same way about her. There could be no other reason for the many times he had risked his life to save her. However, here they were, almost a year since the botched wedding, and nothing had changed in their relationship. Akane was so sure Ranma loved her too...maybe she was wrong? 

"No I'm not!" Akane suddenly cried, slamming her diary shut. She clenched her fists in anger, as tears streamed down her face. "Ranma loves me too, I'm sure he does. He just can't or won't admit it to himself. He just needs something big to happen to make him realize how he feels!" 

Akane's curtains swayed in the gentle breeze blowing through her window. If she had looked down at the ground below that moment, she would have noticed a dark black shadow gliding down the street. 


	2. The Shadow Assassin

**Author's Notes:** Just a reminder that I don't know the entire storyline of Ranma 1/2. If you see any major mistakes, just let me know. Sorry about the long explanations, but I need to set the foundation before the action can begin. 

**Disclaimer:** All characters, with the exception of the shadow assassins, are property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**I Will Never Stop Protecting You**   
Chapter 1 - The Shadow Assassin

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Akane woke up the following morning feeling less than well rested. Luckily, it was Saturday, which meant there wouldn't be school today. As she changed clothes and went down the stairs for breakfast, a large black and white blur flew down the hall and knocked her into the wall. 

"Sorry Akane!" a voice called. The apology came from within the passing blur, which was really Ranma sparring with his father in panda form. 

"Well," Akane thought as she watched them drag their fight towards the pond, "at least he apologized." She entered the kitchen and was greeted by her oldest sister. 

"Good morning," Kasumi chirped happily. 

"Morning," she replied with much less enthusiasm. 

Kasumi stopped in the middle of pulling chopsticks and rice bowls from the cabinet. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" 

"No," Akane said, thinking of her non-existent relationship with Ranma. "Nothing has happened." 

A loud splash was heard from outside, followed by angry yelling. 

"Why do we always have to end our fights in the pond?!" Ranma shouted as she entered the house with her red hair flying and her freshly wrung out shirt in one hand. "Every morning it's always a dip in the pond before breakfast!" 

Akane helped Kasumi gather the bowls and chopsticks and headed into the dining room where Ranma was standing. "Did you win?" 

"Feh, who do you think you're asking?" Ranma replied without a trace of modesty. 

"Where's Mr. Saotome?" Kasumi asked, pouring hot water on Ranma from a kettle she had just brought in. 

Genma entered the room with bumps covering his furry head. "Right here," read the sign he was holding as he collapsed on the ground with a damp sounding, "Wumph!" 

Nabiki and Soun also arrived at the table and everyone sat down to eat. As always, breakfast at the Tendo's was a lively affair. The family engaged in loud conversation as they enjoyed Kasumi's exemplary cooking. However, Akane remained silent throughout the meal, lost in deep thought. 

"What's the matter tomboy," Ranma asked, poking her in the head. As always, he was only trying to get a response from his fiancé. Yet unlike all of the other times he teased her, this latest jest did not produce the expected burst of anger. 

"Ranma you jerk," she whispered in a trembling voice and quickly left the table. The conversation halted as she ran out the door. All eyes turned to Ranma, who looked just as shocked as everyone else. 

"What did you do to her, boy?!" Genma shouted as he smacked his son in the head. 

"I didn't do anything!" Ranma protested. 

"She's crying now Ranma! Go after her!" Soun ordered, his anger making him resemble a demon at the moment. 

"Why should I have to go? It wasn't my fault!" 

"Oh, just let her go. It's probably that time of the month," Nabiki nonchalantly reasoned as she reached for another helping of eel. Looking slightly embarrassed, and muttering a few "ums" and "ahems", Genma and Soun returned to their seats and resumed eating. 

Ranma followed suit and the men pretended like nothing had happened. 

"Do you have to be so crude, Nabiki?" Kasumi asked. 

"What? Well that's probably why she's so moody," Nabiki countered with a shrug. 

Kasumi sighed. "Will you please go find her after breakfast?" she asked Ranma. 

Ranma nodded.   
  


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"What a way to spend my Saturday morning," Ranma thought as he casually strolled along the top of a chain-link fence. "Why does Akane have to be so overly sensitive sometimes? Jeez, now where did she run off to?" 

"Son-in-law!" 

"Huh?" Ranma turned and saw wrinkled old Cologne darting toward him with lightning speed. She landed nimbly before him, but seemed quite nervous. 

"Hurry son-in-law. You must come with me. Time is of the essence!" she cried. 

"Feh, up to your old tricks again you old ghoul? Did you think of this plan yourself, or did Shampoo put you up to this?" he asked, dragging one of his many fiancés into the conversation. 

"No! You don't understand. A dark enemy has finally resurfaced in Nerima, and I need you to help me destroy it! Please!" Cologne's eyes were wide with fear and although Ranma was still somewhat skeptical, he had to admit that Cologne did seem very serious about this. 

With a sigh, Ranma relented. "Fine. I'll help, but you better not be tricking me. I should be finding someone...important...right now. Let's go." 

Without another word, Cologne began jumping from rooftop to rooftop toward the Cat Café with Ranma following closely behind.   
  


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The Cat Café was usually bursting with hungry customers on the weekend, but today it stood deserted and quiet. 

"You guys going out of business?" Ranma asked as he sat down at a table. 

"Of course not. I just closed it for today. But enough of this! I need to inform you about...the shadow assassin. 

"Shadow assassin?" Ranma repeated, snickering at the name. "For someone so dangerous, he seems to have a pretty cliché name. 

Cologne brought her stick down on the table with a deafening, "THWACK!" 

"This is no time to joke, son-in-law!" 

Ranma nodded and stayed silent. 

"The shadow assassins were a group of highly skilled assassins who existed long before my time. These assassins trained in martial arts as well as ritual magics in order to become powerful enough to eliminate their targets. They dedicated themselves to eradicating the world of evil. When opponents proved to be too strong to defeat in direct combat, they traveled through time to attack their targets at weaker times in their lives." 

Ranma gaped in shock. "The power of time travel...?" he asked in awe. "With that kind of power, they would have been pretty invincible." 

"Indeed they were, son-in-law. So powerful, in fact, that they began to lose sight of their promise to fight evil. Their physical and magical strength gave would have allowed them to take over the world if they wanted to," Cologne told him ominously. 

"So why didn't they?" 

"Because of themselves. Not all of the shadow assassins became corrupt over the course of time. While there were some who wanted power, there were others who stayed true to destroying evil. War broke out among the assassins, but in the end the good assassins were victorious. Realizing the potential danger their powers of time travel had, they sealed away their secrets, letting the assassin magic die out with their generation." 

"Well if the shadow assassins are dead, why do you need help?" Ranma asked. 

"A few years ago in China, a young wounded boy entered our Amazon village. He fell unconscious and we tended to his wounds while he slept. As we helped him, a tattoo was discovered on his back. The mark of a shadow assassin is that of a long sword crossed with a short dagger centered by a single four pointed throwing star. The tattooed weapons represented strength, stealth, and speed, and the healers were afraid." 

"By this time," Cologne continued, "the time jumping magics of the shadow assassins had been sealed for at least eight or nine centuries. However, if he were an enemy, we would have a formidable foe to fight. We tied him in rope and found we were right to do so when he woke up. Such anger! It was only through the use of hypno-incense that we were able to discover his secrets." 

Ranma remembered the time he had used the same incense on Happosai to manipulate him into thinking he had been transported back in time. The incense had been quiet strong. "What did he tell you?" 

"He was on a mission to restore his nearly extinct clan of shadow assassins. The young man had retrieved the sealed magic, but it was written on scrolls in an ancient language and he could only read parts of them. Using a weakened form of the time jumping magic, he had a plan to give him and what was left of the assassins more power." 

Cologne leaned in closer to Ranma. "'If I can destroy the same person twice within their timeline,'" he had whispered to me under the power of the incense, "'then the world will become off balanced. Only then will the combined feeble magic of the remaining shadow assassins lift us above the heads of all others!'" 

"Will that work?" Ranma asked. 

"Yes. People are only meant to die once in a lifetime. Physically taking someone's life twice within their timeline will put the good forces of this world at a great disadvantage!"   
  


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"Stupid Ranma," Akane thought as she watched children playing on the the playground equipment in front of her. A small girl suddenly tripped as she chased a little boy around the slide and began to cry. The boy who she had been playing with quickly ran over to her. He picked her up and wiped away her tears. She immediately stopped crying and they ran off to continue playing. 

"Such innocence," thought Akane with a smile. "If only Ranma could be as sweet."   
  


--------------------

"How come your village didn't kill him then and there?" asked Ranma. 

"It is not our custom to kill the weak. He was wounded and he had not beaten any of our warriors." 

"So you guys just let him go?!" he shouted. 

"Of course not. I planned to bind his magical powers with an elaborate ritual, but he slipped away in the night. We found a note the next day that said he spared the village now because we had helped him, but he would not show us mercy once the shadow assassins rose to strength again. He also said that he would be sure to find me again before he ruined the world." 

"Wasn't this years ago? Why did he wait until now to attack?" 

"The wounds that he suffered were very serious. He most likely accumulated them from his quest for the sealed assassin magic. He probably spent these past years recovering and training for this attack." 

"Ok, old ghoul. How do we stop him?" 

"Thank you, groom," she said, bowing slightly to him. "I recently felt his aura within Nerima. He may have great powers, but he can be defeated as any mortal can be." Cologne bounced into the back room of the restaurant and returned with an ancient looking box. "Here." 

Ranma opened it to find a small white gem that was slightly larger than a marble. It seemed to glow with an odd green glow, and sparkle with all of the colors of the rainbow. He reached in to pick it up, but stopped to look at Cologne. She nodded to him. As gently picked up the smaller gem and could feel in emanating warmth. 

"This, son-in-law, is the Gem of Times," with this, you will be able to follow the rogue shadow assassin if necessary. Now come! We must find him while I can still sense his aura!" 

She flew out the door. Ranma quickly searched his clothes for a pocket to store the precious stone. 

"Argh! These pants have no pockets!" he realized as he looked down at this Chinese styled pants. His shirt had no pockets either. He shrugged and jammed the gem into his right shoe and ran out the door.   
  


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Akane was still sitting in the park watching the children play. From afar, a pair of dark eyes stared at her. 

"That fool Saotome!" cried Gosunkugi. He pulled out a camera and began taking pictures of her. "If Akane were mine, I'd never let her out of my sight!"   
  


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Gosunkugi was crouched in a bush across the street from the park. His black clothes made him stand out among the leafy green bushes that he used for cover. His antics were being watched by a dark man of about 20 who sat in a tree a few feet away. The man's face was covered with a black cloth mask that his all but his eyes. 

"The old witch is nearby," he thought, as he tried sensing her aura. "Time to put my plan into action. Now all I need is a target." 

"That fool Saotome!" he heard the boy below yell. The masked man watched Gosunkugi carefully. 

"I believe he is stalking someone in stealth," the man reasoned. 

"I will have my revenge on you!" he yelled again. 

The man in the tree stood up. "I may as well take on the burden of this man and help him with his vengeance." He jumped out of the tree and suddenly dissolved into a black, shadowy mass. The shapeless shadow surrounded Gosunkugi and seeped into him. 

Gosunkugi straightened up and dropped his camera. His eyes narrowed into a malicious smile that was quite unlike him. He crossed the street and headed to where Akane was sitting on a bench. 

"Target sighted."   
  


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"Groom, you must hurry and defeat this enemy before he can target someone!" Ranma was still racing after her, only a few meters behind. "If he chooses someone to kill and time jumps, you may loose track of his target over the course of the years." 

Ranma had no idea what she meant by the loosing track of the target over the course of the years, but he knew that he had to defeat this assassin here and now. He jumped the roofs of buildings with greater speed and began to gain on Cologne. 

"Just lead the way!"   
  


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"Hello Gosunkugi," Akane greeted as her classmate approached. 

Gosunkugi remained silent. 

"Gusunkugi?" she asked. "Are you ok?" 

From behind him, Gosunkugi pulled out a short dagger. 

"Yes. I'm about to make history." He plunged the dagger toward Akane, who instinctively brought up her arms to block his blow. 

"What are you doing?!" she cried, trying to push the dagger away. 

Gosunkugi stepped back from Akane. "I'm getting half of my task out of the way," he sneered, referring to his two death objective. Not understanding what he meant, but not wanting to stay and figure it out, Akane turned and ran. 

Gosunkugi jumped over Akane and ran back toward her, knife in hand. She caught both of his wrists and fell backward. Bringing her foot up, she kicked him in the stomach and let the momentum of the fall carry him over her head as she let go of him. Then she leapt up and took off into the dense forest area of the park. 

"Go ahead and run!" Gosunkugi laughed as he got up. "I like a good chase." He took off after her.   
  


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Ranma jumped from rooftop to rooftop, following Cologne to where she sensed the shadow assassin. 

"RANMA!!!" he suddenly heard a voice scream from a park just a block ahead of them. Ranma put on a burst of speed and passed Cologne. 

"AKANE!!!" 


	3. The First Jump

**Author's Notes:** Although time travel is interesting, it can be a pain to explain. I hope things don't get too confusing... Also, if you're reading this, please take the time to review. It would mean a lot to me to see how many people are enjoying this fic, and I'd also get some feedback on what I'm doing right or wrong. Thanks to those of you who've already reviewed. 

**Disclaimer:** Rumiko Takahashi owns all the characters except for Kaori Kamikuro because, well, I was the one who created him!

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**I Will Never Stop Protecting You**   
Chapter 2 - The First Jump

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"RANMA!" Akane screamed as tears ran down her face. She ran as hard as she could, trying to put distance between herself and Gosunkugi. Her attacker grabbed her from behind, and she struggled in vain to break free. 

Akane covered her head and sobbed. "Ranma's not coming," she thought. "Not this time." 

"AKANE!" 

Looking up she saw Ranma, like an angel, falling from above. He was diving toward her headfirst. She saw him lash out with his fist and knock away the knife in Gosunkugi's hand as he barreled into them. The three of them fell into a tangled mess and Akane freed herself from Gosunkugi's grip. Quick as lightning, Ranma was up and pulling her to safety. 

"Akane! Are you hurt?!" 

It was odd how the sunlight streaming from behind Ranma illuminated him in such an angelic way. She mused at this ever so briefly, before answering him. 

"No, but there's something wrong with Gosunkugi. He tried to kill me!" 

Ranma turned to Gosunkugi, who was still on the ground. 

"You want to explain what's going on?" Ranma asked his fallen foe in a cold voice. 

"Get away from him, son-in-law!" Cologne warned as she headed toward them. 

"Too late, you old ghoul!" Gosunkugi yelled and he knocked Ranma off his feet with a quick sweep of his leg. 

Ranma fell on his back and saw Gosunkugi raise a fist and bring it down upon his stomach. He had never felt a punch from Gosunkugi, but he assumed that it would be fairly painless. Nevertheless, he braced his body for it's impact. An explosive pain that felt like a mountain had fallen on him shot through his stomach. Cologne jumped into the fight with a swing of her walking stick that drove Gosunkugi back a few steps. 

"So, young shadow assassin, you have come to see me as promised," she greeted him. 

"Of course. An assassin never breaks his word," Gosunkugi replied, bowing slightly. "Like the Amazons, we have our honor, too." 

"What?" Ranma asked in a strained voice as he accepted Akane's help to stand. "Who are you?" 

"Is something wrong, Saotome? Don't you remember your old pal Gosunkugi?" His eyes shimmered with a dark sparkle that sent shivers down Akane's spine. 

"You're not him!" she yelled back. "The Gosunkugi we knew never had the speed or strength to hit Ranma." 

"Would you believe that I've been working out?" he asked with a malicious grin. 

"Do not be fooled," Cologne said calmly. "This is not your classmate. He is being controlled by the shadow assassin." 

"He's the one we're looking for?" Ranma asked, still clutching his tender stomach. 

The assassin bowed again, never letting his eyes stray from his enemies. 

"Kaori Kamikuro, shadow assassin at your service." 

"Shadow assassin...?" Akane asked. The others ignored her. 

"Does that mean you've chosen your target?" Ranma asked, feeling quite nervous at the thought of Akane's timeline being endangered. 

Kamikuro eyed Akane. "Yes." 

Beside her, Akane felt Ranma's battle aura suddenly grow. He flexed his fingers and pulled them back into fists before adopting a fighting stance. "Stay back," he whispered to her. 

"Shed that body, Kamikuro! I want to fight you man to man!" 

"Sorry Saotome, but I don't think so. Let's see how well you fight when you risk hurting a friend." 

Ranma's expression grew dark. "I thought you had honor. How honorable is it to use a defenseless person as a shield?" 

"This move isn't about honor. It's about strategy." Kamikuro pulled out a short sword and began advancing. 

"Don't underestimate us, sonny," Cologne said, drawing her walking stick like a sword. 

"This fight is personal Cologne," Ranma said, trying to step in front of her. 

"You can't do this alone, groom. An enemy like him must be taken down with assistance." 

"You should listen to her, Saotome. Granny knows best!" he yelled, lunging toward Ranma. 

Cologne struck back with her walking stick and blocked the sword strike. Kamikuro struck again and again, but Cologne's wooden stick held its own against the steel blade. 

"That must be some strong wood," Ranma thought as he looked for an opening. Kamikuro's back was exposed to him. "I hate to strike an opponent's back, but I'll do it for Akane's sake!" 

With his left foot, he aimed a high side kick at Kamikuro's head. Sensing the back attack, Kamikuro spun with his razor sharp blade and met Ranma's kick. Had Ranma not seen his enemy's movements and leaned back to lift his kick higher, the blade might have cut off his leg. Luckily, Kamikuro had missed by a hair's width. Both attacks passed harmlessly by their targets. 

"Well well," Kamikuro said. "Not many people would have seen that strike coming. That speed of yours is impressive, although Gosunkugi's mind already gave me an idea of the kind of abilities you have." 

"What?!" Akane called from the sidelines. "You're violating Gosunkugi's mind?" It was not that she cared so much about Gosunkugi, rather it was Kamikuro's lack of respect for others that made her so mad. "You disgusting little--!" 

"Don't waste your breath on me yet," Kamikuro replied calmly. "Save it until I have you screaming for mercy under my knife." 

"SHUT UP!" Ranma yelled. Enraged, he lunged at his enemy and drew back his right arm, ready to punch Kamikuro in the mouth. Just inches from his target, Kamikuro caught Ranma and held him in the air with one hand while Akane gasped at the strength of the assassin. Ranma didn't care that his opponent had the power to stop him in mid flight. He drew his arm back again and connected to Kamikuro's jaw with a powerful hook. Ranma watched in horror as Kamikuro's head snapped to the side and turn back to face him, unfazed. 

Kamikuro drew Gosunkugi's mouth into a triumphant smile. "Is that the best that the legendary Ranma Saotome can throw?" He hurled Ranma away and began advancing with his short sword. 

"Son-in-law!" Cologne leapt forward again in Ranma's defense. With blazing speed, Kamikuro slashed a fist at Cologne's head and knocked her sideways, out of his path. 

He roughly lifted Ranma's head by his hair and leaned in toward him. "Can you protect her when you're dead?" he whispered into his ear and threw him back to the ground. Kamikuro held his sword above Ranma with both hands as Ranma remained on his back in a painful heap. "Say goodbye to her!" he yelled, and plunged the sword downward. 

As though in slow motion, Ranma saw the sword begin it's decent on his body. He brought his right leg up toward his chest and, with all the strength left in his battered body, Ranma kicked Kamikuro in the stomach as hard as he could. He saw Kamikuro's expression of shock as his body was lifted off the ground. He watched in amazement as his enemy flew over forty feet and slam into a tree with such force that it uprooted itself and fell over. Never in his life was Ranma able to kick something so far and so hard. He was stunned. 

"Ranma...?" Akane asked, coming to his side. "How did you...?" Her eyes were wide in amazement. 

"Uh..." Ranma was at a loss for words. Akane helped him up and they checked on Cologne, who had seen the final attack. 

"He is not finished yet, son-in-law. His battle aura still burns." 

"How can anything human survive a kick like that...?" Akane wondered out loud. 

The three of them cautiously approached as the dirt began to settle. They saw a black shadow emerge from Gosunkugi's body and form itself into a man. His face was shrouded in a black mask and he wore the thin black garments of an assassin. 

"Kamikuro," Cologne said in a firm voice, "do you admit total defeat?" 

"I admit defeat, but only in this time period," he said with a sneer. "I don't know how you did that Saotome, but let's see if you're as lucky in the future." 

"You're not going anywhere!" Ranma yelled. "This ends here!" He stepped forward to grab Kamikuro and watched in surprise as Kamikuro melted into a shadow and disappeared back into Gosunkugi. 

"What are you doing?!" Akane cried. 

Gosunkugi took off running. "In time, I may find another use for this body. Catch me if you can Saotome!" 

"Come son-in-law! We must kill him while he is weak!" Cologne turned to follow the fleeing enemy, but Ranma caught her arm. 

"Wait, when did we say anything about killing?" Ranma asked. Throughout all of the years he had trained in martial arts, he had never killed anyone and he didn't want to start now. 

"You must kill him, son-in-law; for the sake of you fiancé!" 

"Don't do it Ranma," Akane pleaded, taking his hand in hers. "You can't take a life. There must be another way!" 

"There isn't another way, and there isn't time to discuss this!" Cologne yelled frantically. "Come, son-in-law!" 

Ranma could barely process everything in his head. He needed to protect Akane, but that meant killing Kamikuro. How could he take a life...? But, then again, how could he risk losing Akane? 

"Akane, I have to do something. I'm not going to let him hurt you." 

"But Ranma, you can't--" 

"Hurry, son-in-law! We must go!" Cologne called as she left Ranma and ran after Kamikuro. 

"I have to go! Please Akane, don't follow us. Just know that no matter what happens," Ranma said, staring into her eyes, "I will never stop protecting you!" He turned and bounded after Cologne. 

"Ranma..." Akane whispered, tears forming in her eyes, "please be safe."   
  


--------------------

Kamikuro clutched the stomach of his borrowed body. "Damn that Saotome! I have to get out of this time before he can stop me." 

He pulled out a tattered scroll and whispered an incantation in an ancient tongue. Kamikuro and the air around him began to shimmer and he disappeared in a hazy white light. 

"No! Cologne shouted, seeing him disappear. She stopped and waited for Ranma to reach her. 

"Where did he go?" Ranma asked. 

"He just jumped into another time. You must follow him!" 

Ranma nodded. He took off his right shoe and quickly pulled out the Gem of Times. "OK, what do I do?" 

Cologne tapped him on the back of his head with her stick just hard enough to sting. 

"Son-in-law!" she scolded. "How dare you put such an important treasure in your shoe?" 

"Ow! Hey, I didn't have anywhere to put it!" He gestured toward his pocketless clothing. Cologne gave an exasperated sigh. She plucked the gem from his hand and pulled a spool of fine silver thread from the sleeve of her shirt. Then she began moving her hands at the speed of someone who was performing the "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" technique. 

"There," she said, holding out the Gem of Times to him. It was now encased in an intricate weave of silver thread that hung from a necklace made of the same material. "You can wear it around you neck. The thread is quite strong." 

Ranma obediently wore the necklace. 

"Now, hold the gem in your hand. Many believe that this gem can hear your wishes, so whether you tell it to take you to an exact time, or to follow Kamikuro, it will do so. But, keep in mind that wherever you first jump from is the same place that you must return to if you wish to jump again." 

"Why?" Ranma asked. 

"A rip in time will appear when you use this gem. After it opens, it can only exist in that same place and will only be accessible to anyone holding the gem. The rip is so disruptive to the flow of time that more than one cannot be opened." Cologne explained. 

"What happens when we want to close the rip?" Ranma asked. 

"The rip will only be closed when the gem comes in contact with it at the same time that it was first created. Now go, son-in-law! We're wasting time while Kamikuro prepares to attack Akane in another time!" 

"Ok, I'm gonna jump!" Ranma looked around and saw that he was in an alley behind a strip of stores. It was completely deserted and seemed like a good place to choose. 

"Remember that shadow assassins are honorable. When they time jump, that will always attack a target and they only jump again after being defeated! Good luck, son-in-law!" 

Ranma nodded his thanks to her. He grabbed the gem around his neck and wished, "Follow Kamikuro!"   
  


--------------------

Ranma opened his eyes and realized that it was nighttime. 

"Huh? What happened?" he wondered, looking around. Through the darkness, he could see that he was right where he had been when he first time jumped, and everything looked the same. Nothing looked newer or older. It all looked exactly the same, except it was nighttime now. 

"Did I even jump at all?" he asked no one in particular. He suddenly realized that Cologne was no where to be found. Ranma began walking toward the Cat Cafe to find her when he remembered the reason for time jumping in the first place. 

"Akane!" he yelled, and quickly took off in the direction of the Tendo Dojo. Even in the dark, he knew the way back to the place he had called home since he was sixteen. As he approached the dojo, Ranma saw that the lights in the dinning room were on. 

"I guess it's time for dinner." Ranma jumped over the pond, dashed up the steps, and quickly threw back the door. He stepped inside and stopped in surprise. 

The family was sitting down to dinner alright, but it wasn't the family he expected. He saw Akane sitting where she usually did at the table, as well as Nabiki and Kasumi. However, his father and Mr. Tendo weren't there. In their places were Dr. Tofu and Kuno! 

"What's going on?" Ranma thought to himself. He looked at everyone in confusion, and everyone looked back with equal surprise. No one moved or spoke for several moments before Akane broke the silence. 

"Ranma?" she asked tentatively. "Is that really you?" 

"Uh, yeah..." he answered somewhat stupidly. Even if he overlooked Dr. Tofu and Kuno having dinner at the dojo, something seemed to be off and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. 

"Where have you been Ranma? You've been gone for...so long..." Kasumi said. 

Ranma didn't know what to say. It had been quite a few hours since he left the house this morning to look for Akane, but somehow he knew that that wasn't the answer to Kasumi's question. 

"How do we know that's really Ranma?" Akane asked the others. 

Before he could respond, Nabiki splashed him from the table with a glass of cold water. 

"That's him, I mean, her alright," she said with complete sincerity. 

"Nabiki!" Kuno reprimanded. He picked up a kettle of hot water that was sitting on the table and poured it over Ranma's head. 

From under the stream of hot water, he looked at Kuno. "Wait, you know that I'm the pig-tailed girl?" Ranma asked him. 

Kuno nodded. "Nabiki filled me in while you were gone." He sat back down and another round of silence began. After a few uncomfortable moments, Dr. Tofu cleared his throat. 

"I'm sure Ranma has a very good explanation as to where he's been for the last two years..." 


	4. A Moment Alone

**Author's Notes:** I hope people are still reading this. Sorry I took so long to update. I'd like to make a promise to update faster, but I hate lying. ::wink:: If this chapter seems worse than the others, it's because I ran into some trouble. I knew what I wanted to say, but I couldn't put it into words. The next ones should be easier to write because I have them mapped out better than this last one. Well, enough with the boring notes. Go read the chapter! Please remember to review. And while you're reviewing, could someone tell me whether or not Ukyo knows that Ryoga turns into a pig? I might need it in the upcoming chapters. 

Also, thanks to **The Liz** for making me think about Cologne's role. I actually forgot to write her into the future until The Liz mentioned her. Um, oops. =) 

**Disclaimer:** I'm too lazy to write a new disclaimer. As I said in the last chapter, Rumiko Takahashi owns all the characters except for Kaori Kamikuro because, well, I was the one who created him!

* * *

**I Will Never Stop Protecting You**   
Chapter 3 – A Moment Alone

* * *

Ranma couldn't believe what he had heard. Two years? He had been gone for two years? Is this really what happens in the future? 

"Well?" Nabiki asked impatiently. "Are you going to tell us where you've been or not?" 

"You don't have to explain right now, Ranma," Kasumi said kindly, as if to compensate for her sister's rudeness. "Are you tired? Do you want to eat something first?" she asked. 

"No, that's ok. I just..." He scratched the back of his head with uncertainty. Was this the power of the Gem of Times? Whether it was or wasn't, Ranma didn't want to get everyone involved in this mess...with the exception of Akane, of course. 

"Um, if it's ok with everyone, I'd like to talk to Akane in private first," Ranma announced nervously. 

"Uh, sure I guess," Akane said, standing up. "Let's go upstairs." 

"Wait!" Kuno jumped up and grabbed her hand. "Are you sure you should be alone with him? He's been gone for a while and we don't really know if--" 

"I'll be fine, Kuno." She covered his hand with her own and smiled at him. "Don't worry, I trust him." Kuno reluctantly let go of her hand and sat back down. 

"All right, but I'll be right down here if you need me," he said protectively. 

Akane smiled at him again. "I know you will, Kuno." She turned to Ranma. "Come on. Let's go up to my room." 

"What was that?" Ranma wondered with a twinge of jealousy. The true pervert of Furinkan High had just held Akane's hand and she hadn't punched him through the roof! He toyed with the idea of Kuno and Akane becoming a couple while he had been "missing," and began to feel physically sick. 

Ranma followed Akane up to her room, never once meeting her eyes. He wanted to ask her about Kuno, but he felt awkward about being so upfront with her if he really had been out of her life for two years. 

"Why should I even care?" Ranma asked himself as they walked down the hallway. "It's not like I ever _really_ loved Akane...or that she ever loved...me..." He sighed. With his emotions in turmoil, he followed Akane into her room. 

Surprised, Ranma quickly realized that Akane had redecorated. He had never really taken the time to notice her old room, but he knew for certain that the pictures of Akane and Ranma that now covered the walls were not there two years ago. His eyes flew to framed memories of festivals they had gone to, the Romeo and Juliet play they had starred in, and even a souvenir photo from their visit to the Cursed Caves! 

"What's with all these pictures?" he wondered to himself, and stepped toward a photo of them together at the beach. 

As Akane watched him examine the pictures, she felt her heart flutter nervously in her chest. Those photos were the only reminders she had had of Ranma over the last two years. She had spent many lonely nights looking at them, thinking about what she would say when he returned. Now he was here in her room, and all of those rehearsed words flew out the window. 

Ranma turned and met her gaze. He was quite confused about everything that happened so far and, like Akane, he didn't know what to say. Not a word had been spoken since they left the dining room. Even now, a mutual silence hung in the air between them. 

"His eyes are so clear," Akane thought to herself. "Can this be real?" She wanted to reach out and touch him to see if he were really there, but she was afraid he would disappear like he had in so many other dreams. 

From where he stood, Ranma could see the pain in her eyes, the fear. He felt the sudden urge to console her. 

"Akane..." Ranma whispered, breaking the silence. He watched her eyes slowly fill with tears, and his heart quickened. It always tore him apart to see Akane cry, but it hurt more when he knew she was crying because of him. He saw one shimmering tear slide down to her chin, and he reached out to brush it away. 

Akane remained frozen, afraid that she would wake up from her dream the moment he touched her. He stepped closer to her, and she quivered. As his fingers touched her delicate cheek, she suddenly came to life and rushed into his arms, sobbing. Ranma remembered the first time Akane had hugged him like this. He had just returned from a long and difficult journey chasing after Herb and the Pot of Liberation. She welcomed him home with an embrace he was too embarrassed to return. Even now he still felt shy, but he wrapped her in a protective hug nonetheless. 

They stood that way for what seemed like an eternity to Ranma, not that he minded. When he finally heard her sobs lessen, he led her over to the bed and sat her down. 

"Are you ok now?" he whispered to her. 

She sniffled and looked down at her hands. "You said you'd never stop protecting me." 

"What?" 

"Before you left me in the park," Akane whispered, pulling away from him. "You promised you would never stop protecting me." She looked up with fresh tears forming in her eyes. "Why did you leave me?" 

"It's not what you think!" he cried defensively, though not angrily. "I had to follow that Kamikuro guy who attacked you in the park. Look." He pulled the Gem of Times out from the neck of his shirt and showed it to her. "This is the--" 

"Gem of Times," she finished for him. 

"Wait, how did you--?" Ranma stopped. "I think I'm too surprised to even act surprised anymore." 

Akane gave a small laugh that caused the new tears in her eyes to splash on the bed. 

"Cologne told me everything. I know about the Shadow Assassins and Kamikuro. She even told me that I'm now his target and that you were traveling to the future to save me." 

Ranma took a moment to think about that. 

"So if you knew that I was going to the future, then didn't you know I would come back someday? he asked. 

"Of course I knew that. Cologne knew that too." 

"Then what's with the crying?" Ranma asked. 

"You jerk!" Akane yelled at him. "Do you know how long we've had to wait? It's been more that _two_ years since the day you saved me at the park and used the Gem to travel to the future. No one has seen you since then and we didn't even know how long we had to wait before you showed up again. You have no idea how hard it's been on the people who love you." 

"The people who...love me?" 

"Yes," she answered bitterly. "The people who love you. And at least Cologne and I knew what happened to you. It made the wait a little easier for us. No one else knows about the Gem of Times." 

"What did everyone think had happened to me?" 

At that, she gave another small laugh. 

"Lots of stupid rumors began after you left. Everyone saw you chasing Gosunkugi out of the park that day. Some people saw the fight too. They put two and two together and decided that you had killed Gosunkugi for attacking me and you were hiding out from the law in China. Heh, there were even some people who thought you and Gosunkugi had run off so you guys could be together." 

"What? How could they think that?" Ranma cried indignantly. 

"They didn't know what else to think. The worst idea came from your mom who thought you ran away from home." 

Ranma was stunned. "No way...why would she think that...I would never..." 

"Even Ukyo and Shampoo believed it. Our dads too. They all thought they put so much pressure on you about marriage and fiancés that you just snapped and ran," Akane said. 

Ranma imagined his mom crying, thinking that her son didn't love her enough to stay. His dad would have left on a long training voyage to keep himself busy. Ukyo and Shampoo must have been heartbroken. Akane even knew what had happened, but she still cried her heart out over him. 

"Akane, I'm sorry I left you and I'm sorry I put you through all of this." He wiped away her tears again. "I didn't know that this would happen when I used the Gem of Times, but I don't regret using it." 

"What?" Akane asked. "How can you say that?" 

"Because I did this to protect you, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again." 

Akane gasped and stared into his eyes. "Do you really mean it?" 

"Yeah, I do." He smiled and shyly took her hand in his own. "I guess it's kinda late for me to say it, but I really care about you. I'd do anything to protect you." 

"Oh, Ranma." Akane threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I love you," she said softly. 

Ranma quickly pulled away, blushing furiously. 

"Um, ahem, uh," he stammered. 

Akane watched his reaction with disappointment. She wasn't surprised that he couldn't return her words, but at least she knew how he felt. 

"Um...what was that thing with Kuno downstairs?" Ranma asked timidly. 

"What thing?" Akane asked. 

"You know...when he held your hand and you and he were all..." 

Akane smiled. "It's not what you think. We're not like that." 

"Well, then what was it?" 

"He's just really protective of me. I think of him as a big brother." 

"What?" Ranma asked with skepticism. "When did Kuno go from 'crazy stalker' to 'big brother'?" 

"Hm...it's been so long since that happened. After you 'went missing' he did his usual stalking thing, but he also kept asking me about the 'pig-tailed girl'. I just got tired and flat out told him that you _were_ the 'pig-tailed' girl and he seemed to think you kidnapped her." Akane shrugged. "No idea where he got that from. Anyway, I paid Nabiki one thousand yen upfront and told her I would pay her another four thousand if she could get Kuno to see the truth about you." 

"And she actually managed to do it?" Ranma asked incredulously. 

"You saw him for yourself downstairs. He changed you back into a guy and everything." 

"How'd she do it?" 

"No one's really sure," Akane said mysteriously. "Nabiki tied him up and she locked herself in her room with him. Almost three days later, he left her room and said to me 'Ranma becomes the pig-tailed girl with cold water and a guy with hot water.' And after, he just kinda stopped stalking me. Of course, it might have been because he and Nabiki became a couple." 

"What!?" 

Akane smiled at him. "You've missed a lot. Even Kasumi and Dr. Tofu's wedding..." 

"Really?" he asked. "Well I guess that isn't really surprising. I kinda always thought they would get together." 

"Me too," she agreed. 

Ranma sighed. "I wish Cologne had told me that this would happen when I time jumped. I didn't realize I would have to miss so much." 

"Oh! That reminds me!" Akane jumped up and went over to her desk. She pulled out a letter from the top drawer and handed it to him. "This is from Cologne." 

"What does it say?" he asked as unfolded it. 

"I don't know," Akane admitted. "I didn't read it. She wrote it when she returned to China." 

"Wait a minute. She left?" 

"Yeah, a little more than a year ago. Shampoo was really upset when you 'ran away'. She waited for you for almost a year, but she was too heartbroken. Shampoo returned to China, and Cologne and Mousse went with her." 

Ranma sighed and read the letter. 

> Dear son-in-law, 
> 
> Since you have been missing for so many days, I can conclude that it is the future you have traveled to and not the past. If you had been to the past, you would have returned without anyone noticing your absence. But, since you are missing, it means that you have gone to the future and we must wait for you to reappear again. 
> 
> I do not know in what year you are reading this, but I am certain that your sudden reappearance in this new time is disorienting to you. For that, I am sorry. However, there are two ways you can fix this broken timeline. 
> 
> The first way would be for you to defeat the Shadow Assassin in this current time. If you can do this, then you may return to the past to close the rip in time and continue your life normally. This will change the future so that you will no longer be missing like have been for the past years. 
> 
> If you do not manage to defeat the Shadow Assassins and he jumps to a new time, then return to the past anyway, but return a few hours **after** the time you opened the rip. Find me at the Cat Cafe and tell me to give you the Heavy Stone. I will understand immediately even if you do not. 
> 
> I will be unable to assist you now, so try to find other allies to aid you in your fight. Good luck.

"So," Akane said when he put down the letter. "What does it say?" 

"I don't completely understand it, but she gave me instructions about how to fix the messed up timeline." 

"Really? That's great! What do you have to do?" 

"Well first I have to defeat Kamik--" 

Akane's bedroom window suddenly shattered. Ranma dove on top of Akane to shield her from the flying glass. 

"You have to defeat _who_?" a squeaky male voice asked. 

Ranma looked up to see Kamikuro, who was still hiding in Gosunkugi's body, standing in Akane's room.


End file.
